Counterfeit-coin detector



(No Model.)

J. B. ATWATER.

COUNTBRPEIT GOIN DETECTOR.

Patented Sept. 19, 1882.

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UNITED SATES PATENT Ormea JOIIN B. ATWATER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COUNTERFEIT-COIN DETECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,431, dated September 19, 1882,

Application tiled May 19, 155:2. (No model.)

To all whom Ait may concern Beit known that I, JOHN B. A'rwarurt, a citizen ot` the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Gool; and State ot' Illinois, have invented a newand Improved Gounterl'eit-Ooin Detector, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machne which determines thel genuineness of coins by measuring and weighing the same; and the nature otl my improvements consist, tirst, in the combination of a series of tight cylinders or other shaped vessels supplied with quicksilver through a suitable plugged aperture, a series ot' weighingtrays mounted at ditt'erent alti tudes upon suitable guide-stems ot' a series of conical or other suitably-shaped iioats which rest upon the quicksilver within the said vessels, and a measuring table or plate provided with a series of slots of a length and width correspondingrespectivelytothe diameter and thickness ot' the respective standard coins ot' the United States or other countries, this combination being such that the tloat-stems which support the weighing-trays hold the trays while empty at different distances below the horizontal plane otl the slotted measuring-table, such relatively different distances being in accordA ance with the ditterent diameters ot' the coins, while the amount ot' tloatsurt`ace which is immersed in the Quicksilver will be in proportion to the respective diameters and weights ofthe different coins placed upon the respective trays through the respective slots ot' the table; second, in a combination of the slotted measuring-table, overhanging rods for properly directing the descent of the coins at'ter they are weighed, an inclined conductiiig-apron, vertically rising and descending trays applied on guided tloatstems, and cylindrical vessels supplied with a fluid which retards the descent ot' the iioats, and acoinreceiving box; and, third, in the combination ot' trays made adjustable on 'tloatstems with vessels containing quicksilver, whereby, in the event of any material change occurring in the density ot' the quicksilver from eii't'ects of temperature, the same may be compensated for by adjustingI thealtitudc ot' the trays on the iloatstems.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a broken top view ofthe improved counterfeitcoin detector; Fig. 2, a vertical section in the line a ot' Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section in the line y y ot' Fig. l.

In said drawings, A represents a coin-receivingboX,ot rectangular or other shape, and having the forward portion ot'its bottom inclined, as at a, so as to cause the coins, al'ter they are measured and weighed and caused to descend, to slide properly down upon the dat portion ot' the bottom ot the box, and also to facilitate the removal ofthe coins from thebox.

B is a measuring table or plate mounted upon standards b of the box. This table is a sufticient distance above the box to allow the weighing mechanism to be placed below it, and allow said mechanism to operate properly. Through the table or plate B a series ot' slots, c c c2 o3 c4 c5, are cut transversely of its length, and these slots are ot'a diameter and width re.- spectively corresponding` to the diameter and thickness, respectively, ot' twenty-dollar, tendollar, and tive-dollar gold pieces, and one-dollar,1ifty-cent, and twenty-tive-cen tsilverpieces, which pieces are ot' standard size and weight, those lettered ce ci being for gold pieces and those c3 c c5 silver pieces. The slots will only admitthrough the table or plates coinsotstantl ard size having a standard weight. Therefore, ifa counterteitcoin oftull weightis brought over either ot'the slots, its thickness or diameter will prevent it t'roin passing through the slot. coins ot' full weight are detected; but if the coins should be ot' less weight than the established standard they could be passed through the slots in the table, and hence the weighing mechanism now to be described is combined with the measuringtable or plate.

The weighing mechanism which I have devised, and believe to be more accurate than a. vibrating weighted beam, is as follows: A series ot' tight cylindrical vessels, O, ot' varying diameter and capacity, and supplied with Quicksilver through apertures d, closed by screw-plugs d', are cast upon a base-plate, Z1', and connected and stayed by a web, e, and, it' necessary, the whole inclosed by outer walls, b5. rllhese cylinders arcplaced within the coinbox A, directly under the slots ot' the plate or table B, and secured in position by screws cl3, as shown. The upper ends of thc cylin- By this means counterfeit or alloyed Y IOO ders are closed by a cap-plate, b4,in which the apertures d and holes for the stems of the floats to move through are provided. Within these vessels cone-shaped fioats D, which are respectively of little less diameter than the respective cylinders, are arranged so as to rest in their normal position upon the quicksilver D3, as illustrated. The lioats may be either of iron, steel, glass, ivory, hard rubber, or wood, or any other material to which the quicksilver will not adhere or by which it-will be absorbed. rlhe respective displacing-surfaces of thesefloats are to be proportioned to the diameter and weight of the coins to be weighed, as illustrated in the drawings. The floats are attached to stems D, which passup through a guide-bar, E, and through slotsfof a coin-conducting apron F, which is screwed to the coin-box and connected toa back plate of the table B, as illustrated. On the upper ends of' the stems weighing-trays D2 are litted by means of screw-threads F', so that they can be raised or lowered according to the necessities of the ease. rlhe trays are arranged centrally under the slots of' the measuring plate or table, and they stand respectively at such altitudes as Will adapt them for weighing the different standard coins. In setting the trays f'or operation they may stand so as to require about one-halfof the diameter of therespective coins to be passed below the surface of the table in order to rest the coins upon them, and the movement of the trays downward should be sufficient to allow the entire diameter of the respective coins to pass below the under side of the table or plate. This adjustment can be attained by making the stems of the floats for the different coins of different lengths and proportioning the diameter and capacity of the cylinders and the diameters and fluid-displacing surfaces of the oats with respect to the different coins to be weighed. By the use of quicksilver for the purpose described the great weight thereof is lnade available for keeping a portable counterfeit coin-detector steady while in use.

The inclined coin-conducting apron F is pro- -vided at its upper end with a series of separated overhanging directingrods, H, which are arranged in close relation to the trays D2- one on each side of a trayand they serve for properly directing the coins downward upon' less than the standard weight, or a counterfeit, it will remain in the slot, either in consequence of' its not being capable of depressingthe tray, stem, and float upon which it is resting, or because its bulk has been so increased, in order to give it sufficient weight, by a baser metal than either gold or silver that it cannot pass through the slot. Thus whether a'coin is too light and yet of standard metal, or too large on account of its being made heavy enough by a metal not of standard character, the fact will be detected.

ln the event of any variation in the operation ofthe weighing mechanism occurring from change in the height of the quieksilver in the cylinders caused by extreme change of' temperature, the same can be regulated by adjusting the trays up or down on the screw-th readed ends of' the float-stems.

The great advantage in my weighing mechanism lies in the trays moving straight up and down against the quicksilver, also in its being very compact and regular in its operation. The quicksilver, offering great resistance and yet capable of flowing freely, admits of the machine being made quite small, yet capable of weighing the larger as well as the smaller standard coins with great accuracy, and the combination of a table with slots only adapted for coins of standard size with the weighing mechanism described enables the machine to arrest bogus coins and also coins of standard metal but not standard weight. Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,'is

l. Aeoiu-detector comprisingin its construction a series of tight cylinders of' relatively different diameter and capacity for containing a weighing-fiuid-as quicksilver, for instancea series of weighing-trays mounted at different altitudes upon the stems of a series of floats having respectively different amounts of' fluiddisplacing surface and being properly guided, and a measuring-table having slots corresponding to standard coins, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A coin-detector com prising a slotted measuring-table, overhangiug directing-rods, an inclined conducting-apron, vertically-moving trays applied on guided float-stems, cylindrical vessels supplied with a fluid which acts against the floats in their descent, and acoinbox, substantially as described.

3. In a counterfeit-coin detector, floating trays which are adjustable by screw-threads on their stems, and vessels containing quicksilver, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN B. ATWATEB.

Witnesses GHAs. K. NICHOLS, GUSTAVE TIDHOLM.

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